Above: Dark matter rendered detectable through neutralized axion particles.
Dark matter cartography is the science and practice in the Planetary Union of mapping dark matter in space. Presumably, dark matter cartography began in 2420 following the discovery in late 2419 of how to reliably detect dark matter.
History[]
Until 2419, dark matter was undetectable by conventional scanners aboard Union spacecraft. Even the highly advanced Kaylon did not know how to detect dark matter in any practicable way.[n 1] Space vessels unfortunate enough to encounter an extremely rare concentrated dark matter storm could not chart the highly damaging matter. Collisions weaken a ship's deflectors and damage hull integrity. Ships that could not escape a dark matter storm would eventually be destroyed.[1]
Around November or December 2419, the USS Orville encounters a dark matter storm. However, Pria Lavesque, a time-traveler from the 29th century, teaches the crew that flooding the area with neutralized axion particles renders the dark matter detectable by sensors and the Orville manages to escape.[2]
It is believed that the technology is quickly adopted by Union scientists into a formal study called dark matter cartography in 2420. Dedicated science officers who practice it aboard Union ships, space stations, and outposts are called dark matter cartographers.[3]
Pria Lavesque is credited with teaching the Union how to detect dark matter and started dark matter cartography as a science.
Notable cartographers[]
- Janel Tyler - Stationed aboard the Orville
Notes[]
- ↑ Isaac says that detecting dark matter through neutralized axion particles was a fascinating theory he had never heard of. Episode 1x05: Pria
References[]
- ↑ Episode: Pria
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:0 - ↑ Episode 2x01: Ja'loja